Winding machine



Filed Aug. 24, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 177126725211 w k; Z W

b6 22 M 41%50 ring;

Nov. 10, 1936. A. F. PYM

WINDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1934 2 SheetsSheec 2 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE WINDING MACHINE Arthur F. Pym, Beach Blufl', Mass., Sibley-PymCorporation, Lynn,

assignor to Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 24,1934, Serial No. 741,248

1 14 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for use in manufacturing wound coresfor golf balls and consists in novel mechanism for severing the threadbeing wound or one of two threads being wound at any desired point inthe winding operation. It also includes within its scope novel mechanismfor mechanically presenting to the core the end of a thread which is tobe included in the windings. 1

It is the practice in the manufactiire of golf ball cores, particularlythose having afpore center of soft rubber or a liquid-filled center, toemploy a relatively wide elastic thread or ribbon in the inner windingsof the core and to employ a fine elastic thread only in the outerwindings thereof. The wide threadserves to confine or bind the corecenter so that its surface is maintained smoothly as a true spherewithout being indented or otherwise distorted, as is sometimes the caseif a fine thread is wound thereon. Moreover, the wide thread builds upquickly in the winding operation, thus reducing the cost ofmanuiacturing the core, and if the use of the wide thread is restrictedto the inner turns of the core its resiliency as a whole is notadversely affected. On the other hand, it is important to form the outerportion of the core of a relatively fine elastic thread since in thisway a more resilient mass may be formed and it is the structure of theouter part of the core which is the controlling factor in determiningthe resiliency of the ball. From a manufacturing standpoint, it is alsodesirable to have the outer winding of the core composed of finer threadas this tends to improve the bond between the core and the molded shellof'the ball.

Heretofore, it has been the commercial practice to divide the windingoperation into separate steps, winding the inner portion of the core upto a predetermined diameter of the wide or ribbon thread, then stoppingthe winding process, fastening off the end of the wide thread, and theninitiating a new winding step to complete the core and bring it up to afinished size with the fine thread. It has thus been necessary to handleeach core twice, to start an elastic thread at two different places uponthe core, and to fasten oil both threads separately. There is also aconstant danger of losing the end of the inner I have disclosed andclaimed a process of wind- In my copending application Serial No.601,964, filed March 30, 1932, now Patent No. 1,974,508, I havedisclosed and claimed a process of winding resilient cores which ischaracterized by continuously rotating a spherical center and windingthereon as a continuous operation two dissimilar elastic threads,governing the length .of each as desired, for example, winding first awide elastic thread alone and then a fine elastic thread alone, oroverlapping the winding of the two 5 threads throughout anypredetermined zone in the body of the core. Usually the inner windingsare formed of the wide elastic thread alone, i or they may be formed ofthe wide and fine elastic threads wound simultaneously. Under thesecircumstances, the use of the wide elastic thread may be terminated atany desired point as the diameter of the core increases, and then thewinding ,operation may be completed with fine thread alone.

With these conditions in mind, my invention in one aspect comprisescutting mechanism for a winding machine operative to sever one of twothreads without interrupting the operation of winding the other upon thecore. While such mechanism may be operated manually, I contemplateorganizing it so that it may be operated automatically at anypredetermined diameter of a the core, and in this aspect my inventionmay be defined as automatic cutting mechanism asso'ciated with thethread feeding mechanism of a winding machine in combination with meansfor tripping the cutting mechanism at any desired point.

Another important feature of my invention, which is herein shown asassociated with the cutting mechanism above discussed but which isadapted to be used also independently of such cutting mechanism,comprises mechanism operative to present to the core at any desiredpoint in the winding cycle the end of a thread which it is desired towind upon the core. In the form illustrated, this mechanism includes aholding device arranged to position the end of the thread adjacent tothe core, together with mechanism 40 controlled by the diameter of thecore as wound for moving the holding device to present the end of thethread to the rotating core, or in such proximity thereto that the endis whipped into the winding action.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of two embodiments thereof,selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanyingdrawings more or less diagrammatically in connection with the windingmachine of my prior application Serial No. 507,816,filed January 10,1931, now Patent No. 2,033,356, issued March 10, 1936.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of such a machine equipped withmechanism for winding 9. core having its inner turns made up ofsuperposed elastic threads and its outer turns of a single fine thread;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective, on an enlarged scale, of the windingmechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the core as it is wound in theinitial stage;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the core as it is wound in the final stage;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the machine equipped forwinding a core in which the inner turns are formed by a wide elasticthread only;

Fig. 6 is a view of the core as it appears shortly after the transitionhas been made from wide to fine thread.

Fig. 7 is a detailed view of the knife mechanism and latch therefor.

In the accompanying drawings only such parts of the machine areillustrated as may be necessary for an understanding of the windingoperation. For further details of mechanical construction, reference maybe had to my earlier application above identified. The core center l5 tobe wound is supported upon and rotated by a yielding endless belt l6 andis yieldingly engaged by a freely rotating detector disk l8. The rim ofthe disk i8 is convex in cross section and engages the upper side of thecore at a single predetermined point or small area with an appreciabledegree of pressure. The endless belt l6 runs upon a driven roller l4 andan idle roller l2 which are mounted on shafts which project outwardlyfrom the machine frame ID. The detector disk i8 is mounted in the freeend of an arm 20 which is lifted by the action of the core upon thedetector disk i8 during the winding operation and which is lowered byits own weight to engage the periphery of a new core centerpreliminarily to each winding operation.

The wide elastic thread 22 which is utilized in the inner windings ofthe core is supplied to the machine from a reel, not shown, and isdirected to the rotating core center by a series of suitably locatedguide rolls 24, 2G, 28 and 30. By the guide roll 30 it is directed tothe core center I5 at a point adjacent to its lower side, so that itpasses in between the surface of the feed belt I! and the core itself.The tension of the wide elastic thread may be suitably controlled bytension mechanism, not shown.

The fine elastic thread 32 also passes to the machine from a suitablesupply reel and is directed to the rotary core by being led about theroll 34 of a tension device and a guide roll 36 which directs the finethread to the core in a position superposed symmetrically upon the wideelastic thread 22, as well shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In winding the coreshown, the ends of both threads are brought together and startedsimultaneously and the winding of the two threads may be continued inthis fashion up to any predetermined diameter of core.

As exemplifying one embodiment of my invention, a form of mechanism willnow be described which is suitable for cutting the wide elastic threadwithout interrupting the winding operation. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2,the frame in of the machine is provided upon its face with a casing 40having an inclined passage therein through which the wide elastic thread22 is conducted in passing from the guide roll 28 to the guide roll 30.Within the casing 40 is mounted a horizontally movable plunger 42 carryat its inner end a knife 44. A compression spring 43 tends always tomove the plunger 42 toward the right, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, to aposition in which the knife 44 will engage and sever the thread movingin the passage of the casing. A resetting lever 46 is pivotally mountedwithin the casing 40. This is in the form of a bell crank lever havingone arm which extends upwardly into a position where it may be broughtinto engagement with the end of the plunger 42 and another arm whichextends horizontally and is perforated to receive a vertically movablerod 52 which is connected at its upper end to the detector arm 20. Therod 52 carries an adjustable stop nut 55 and this is arranged to engagethe resetting lever 46 when the arm 20 is lowered into initial positionand to rock the resetting lever in a counterclockwise direction, forcingthe plunger 42 toward the left against the compression of the spring 43.The end of the upwardly extending arm of the resetting lever 46 isforked and otherwise shaped to clear the sharp edge of the knife 44 whenit is moved to retract the plunger 42 in resetting the knife. Avertically movable latch piece 48 engages a notch in the upper face ofthe plunger 42 and holds the plunger in inoperative position during thefirst portion of the winding operation. The rod 52 passes downwardlythrough a. perforated tripping arm 50 which is arranged to engage andlift the latch 48 at the proper time in the cycle of the machine. Forthis purpose the rod 52 is provided at its lower end with an adjustablestop 54. It will be apparent that as the detector arm 20 is swungupwardly as the wound core builds up in diameter, the stop 54 will bebrought up into engagement with the tripping arm 50 and will swing thelatter upwardly so that it lifts the latch 48, releasing the plunger 42.

It will be apparent that in carrying out the winding process by themechanism above described, the operation is carried out smoothly andcontinuously without interruption from start to finish. As alreadyexplained, in initiating the winding operation the operator will arrangethe ends of both threads in superposed relation ,and give them a fewturns about the core center l5, at the same time placing the latter inwinding position upon the belt IS with the detector disk in contacttherewith and the detector arm 20 in its lowermost position. The knife44 is latched in its inoperative position at this time. The machine isthen started and the winding operation progresses with both threadslocated as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, that is, with the fine threads 32located symmetrically upon the surface of the wide thread 22 and bothrunning together to the core. The inner portion of the core is wound inthis fashion and it is built up in diameter to the desired predeterminedsize as determined by the setting of the adjustable stop 54. At thispoint the plunger 42 is tripped and; the knife 44 is shot into contactwith the wide thread 22, instantly severing the latter in its passagethrough the casing 40. However, no interruption occurs in the passage ofthe fine thread 32. The severed end of the wide thread is at oncecarried into the rotating core and is immediately wound in and fastenedoff by being enclosed in the turns of the fine thread 32. Fig. 4 isdesigned to represent this condition, the end of the wide thread 22being shown as already covered and held by one turn of fine thread 32.

The winding operation continues with the fine thread alone until thecore reaches its finished size, whereupon the machine is automaticallystopped by mechanism which forms no part of the present invention butwhich is fully illustrated in my prior application, above identified.The completed core is then removed from the machine and the end of thefine thread fastened. It will be seen that by following the processabove disclosed the operator is relieved of giving any attention to thecore between the step of initiating the winding operation with thesuperposed threads and the step. of fastening the end of the fine threadin the completed core.

In some cases it is preferred to utilize the wide thread alone in theinner windings of the core or, in other words, to reduce to a minimumthe windings in which the wide and fine threads are simultaneouslywound. I have shown the same.

machine equipped for winding in this fashion in Fig. of the drawings,wherein the core is designated by reference character 5 and themechanism for supporting and rotating the core and directing boththreads thereto is similar to that already described. In this instance,however, a holder is provided for the end of the fine thread 32 in theform of an arm 60 pivoted to the machine frame I II and having aprojecting pin 62 which supports the end of the fine thread 32 in aposition adjacent to the core H5 and above the path of the wide thread22 as it passes from the guide roll 30 to the core. A tension spring 64tends normally to swing the holder so as to carry the end of the finethread into contact with the surface of the traveling wide thread 22 anda pivoted latch 66 is provided which maintains the holder 60 in itsinitial position, as shown in Fig. 5. The latch 66 is perforated toreceive a vertical rod 58 pivotally connected at its upper end to thedetector arm 20 and having an adjustable stop III at its lower end. Aresetting pin 12 extends downwardly from the detector arm 20 in positionto engage and rock the holder 60 in a clockwise direction into itslatched position when the detector arm 20 is lowered preparatory to-thewinding operation.

In carrying out the winding process in this alternative fashion, theoperation is initiated with the wide thread 22 alone and carried to thedesired predetermined diameter of the core. When this is reached, thelatch 66 is released by the upward movement of the stop and the holder60 rocked so as to bring the end of the fine thread 32 into contact withor closely adjacent to the moving wide thread 22. When this occurs, theend of the fine thread 32 is at once whipped into the rotating coreeither by the action of the wide thread as a conveyor or by the draftwhich is created by the moving parts. In any case, the end of the finethread is caught into the windings and the fine thread is utilized tocomplete the core. Immediately after the end of the fine thread has beenpicked up in the winding operation, the plunger 42 is tripped and thewide thread severed. The exact sequence of these operations may beaccurately determined by setting the adjustable stops 54 and I0 and,while it is desirable that a short overlapping of the two threads shouldoccur, in practice this may be reduced to a very few turns, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for winding cores of elastic thread, comprising means forrotating a core, guides for directing an elastic thread thereto,

a pivoted measuring arm having a roller arranged to run on the peripheryof the core as wound, a spring'actuated knife movable in a pathtransverse to the path of the thread, connections between said measuringarm and knife for tripping the knife while the. measuring arm is beingmoved in one direction and for resetting the knife while being moved inthe other direction.

2. A machine for winding cores of elastic thread, comprising means forrotating a core, a movable holder for presenting the end of an elasticthread in position adjacent thereto, a measuring device movable inaccordance with the diameter of the core, and connections whereby saidmeasuring device causes the holder to move to thread delivering positionwhen the core reaches a predetermined size.

3. A machine for winding cores of elastic thread, comprising means forrotating a core, means for leading two elastic threads thereto, alongseparate paths, a movable holder for retaining the end of one thread,autornatlc cutting mechanism located in the path of the other thread,and means controlled by the core diameter for causing the holder topresent its thread end in winding position and the cutting mechanism tosever the other thread.

4. A machine for winding cores of elastic thread, comprising means forrotating a core, a

core measuring device, means for leading elasticthread to the core, andthread cutting and thread,

presenting mechanisms both controlled by said measuring device.

5, In a machine for winding cores of elastic thread, equipped with meansfor rotating a core, a core measuring device having an element arrangedto be moved by the growing core, a holder movable to present a threadend in position to be wound into the core, a movable knife, and

' controlling connections between the movable element of the measuringdevice on the one hand and said holder and said knife on the other hand.

6. In a machine for winding cores of elastic thread, equipped with meansfor rotating a core, a core measuring device, a holder movable topresent a thread end in position adjacent to the rotating core, amovable knife, and connections between said measuring device and saidholder and knife respectively for timing their movement.

'7. In a machine for winding cores of elastic thread, equipped withmeans for rotating a core and means for directing two threads to thecore to be wound thereon, cutting mechanism including a reciprocatoryknife operative to sever one thread and located out of the path of theother thread, whereby it may act without interrupting the operation ofwinding said other thread upon the core.

8. In a machine for winding cores of elastic thread, equipped with meansfor rotating a core and means for directing two threads to the core tobe wound thereon, cutting mechanism including a reciprocatory knifeoperating automatically to sever one thread when the core is wound to apredetermined diameter and located out of the path of the other thread.

9. In a machine for winding cores of elastic thread having means forrotating a core and guides for leading a thread thereto, a roll pressedat all times against the body of the rotating core and movably mountedfor measuring the diameter of the core as wound, and knife mechanismincluding a knife movable for severing the thread and controlled in itsoperation by said measuring means roll.

10. In a machine for winding cores of elastic thread, having means forrotating a core and guides for directing an elastic thread thereto, amovable core measuring device, and automatic knife mechanism associatedtherewith including a spring and being arranged to be tripped and resetby the core measuring device.

11. In a machine for winding cores of elastic thread, having means forrotating a core and guides for directing an elastic thread thereto, acore measuring device including a wheel arranged to run on the peripheryof the core as wound and spring actuated knife mechanism associated withsaid measuring device and interposed connecting mechanism for bothtripping and energizing the knife mechanism controlled in its action bysaid measuring device.

12. A machine for winding spherical cores from thread, which includesmeans for rotating a core,

a thread passage leading to the core, a knife movable in a pathintersecting the thread passage, means for latching the knife underspring pressure in an inoperative position, and a core measuring devicemovable as the core increases in size and having adjustable connectingmechanism for tripping said knife at a predetermined point in itsmovement.

13. A machine for winding spherical cores from thread, which includesmeans for rotating a core, a pivoted arm carrying a core-measuring roll,a rod connected to the arm, a resetting lever and a tripping leverarranged to be operated by movement of the rod in opposite directionsand a spring actuated knife arranged to be energized and trippedrespectively by movement of said resetting and tripping levers.

14. In a machine for winding cores of thread, having means for rotatinga core and guides for directing a thread continuously thereto, amoveable core measuring device, and automatic knife mechanism associatedwith the measuring device and including a spring actuated knife which isarranged to be tripped by the core measuring device and to sever thethread, and means for resetting said knife preparatory to winding a newcore.

ARTHUR F. PYM.

